The Giants Should Give Thanks That Denver’s Falling Apart

The Giants can't catch a break. Just as Brandon Jacobs declared that his leg feels good and that he expects to play tomorrow night against Denver, we learn that Ahmad Bradshaw likely won't be available because of a sprained left ankle sustained against Atlanta on Sunday. And the Giants' "healthy" running back, Danny Ware, has all of one game under his belt since returning from his own injury.

But for all of the Giants' problems — most notably a defense that appears to be getting shakier every week — the Broncos are playing worse than they are right now, losers of four straight after a 6–0 start. At least the Giants are coming off an unbalanced win. Denver's coming off a beat-down. It's becoming clearer and clearer that, without a dependable defense or an explosive running game, Eli Manning's going to have to put this team on his shoulders. He's far enough into the season to be comfortable with his receiving corps and aware of their relative strengths and weaknesses. Last week, he faced a must-win game, and he won it. It's a scenario he'll need to get used to.

If Dallas loses to Oakland tomorrow afternoon — and after last week's scare against the Redskins, anything's possible — then the Giants could gain control of first place tomorrow night, if only temporarily. A loss, and they'll spend their Sunday scoreboard watching. And that's no way to spend a holiday weekend, is it?

And on that note, that's it for us this week. We're off to eat, watch football, eat leftovers, then watch some more football. We encourage you to do the same. Have a great Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Monday.